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Wallaby Airlines has taken off
By Paul Lineham

Volume 49, No. 1, February 8, 2007
 
MUST READ: Former pilot and author Jeff Pedrina with his book in a hangar at 38SQN.
Photo by AC Aaron Curran
 
MANY of the veterans in the 90-strong crowd gathered in the 38SQN maintenance hangar at RAAF Base Amberley turned from time to time to gaze at the Caribou displayed outside.

A nostalgic smile creased their faces as they heard the familiar growl of Pratt and Whitney 14-cylinder radial engines as a Caribou prepared for a flypast as part of the official launch of the new book Wallaby Airlines.

These were veterans, members of 35SQN, who gathered at Amberley to help celebrate the launch of the book, written by former 35SQN pilot Jeff Pedrina. Jeff is the winner of a special Chief of Air Force award in the literature section of the Air Force Heritage Awards last year.

Wallaby Airlines has been published by the Air Power Development Centre as part of its Heritage Series.

35SQN proudly operated the then brand-new Caribous in South Vietnam from 1964 to 1972, and established the legend.

AIRCDRE (Ret’d) Stan Clark, a former CO of 35SQN – who launched the book – said Wallaby Airlines carved a niche, with the hard-earned reputation of ‘going anywhere, doing anything on a mission-essential task and … never turning back.’

Mentioned in Despatches for his flying duties in Vietnam, Jeff clocked up a then record 145 hours flying in one month. He described Wallaby Airlines as a personal snapshot of his 12-month tour in 1967, which he wrote 30 years ago. He said he resisted the temptation to rewrite it as a history or autobiography for publication.

History or not, it offers a fascinating and often humorous insight into the operations of a group of Australian servicemen who, in despite the critical importance of their contribution, have usually been relegated to a much lesser place in the history books.

“This is a must read for all modern servicemen and women,” AIRCDRE Clark said.

Entries for the next Air Force Heritage Awards will be due in mid-2007. For more information, contact (02) 6266 1447.

Copies of Wallaby Airlines are available for $22 from the Air Power Development Centre in Canberra by calling (02) 6266 1433 or emailing airpower@defence.gov.au

Publication order forms can also be printed from www.raaf.gov.au/airpower